



L. M. ROE

Aug. 7, 1951 BIB Filed Feb. 24, 1948 INVENTOR. [EON/I M. ROE BY Patented Aug. 7, 1951 BIB Leona M. Roe, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application February 24, 1948, Serial No. 10,359

1 claim. 1

This invention relates to a bib or a combined bib and apron and While the same could be worn on many occasions, it particularly is designed to be worn by a person handling a baby. As is well known, most babies have a habit oi spitting or burping and this is apt to damage, mar or spoil the clothes of the person handling the baby. The `baby is often held infront of the person but it is also common to have the baby disposed on or over the shoulder of the holder.

It is an object of this invention to provide a bib or a combined bib and apron having a central zone with side portions extending at each side of said central zone, together with means adapted to extend about or `partially about the neck of the wearer for holding the device in place whereby the device can be positioned in front of the wearer or it can be' easily and conveniently swung so that the central zone extends outwardly -over either shoulder of the wearer. When the central zone extends outwardly over the shoulder the side portions extend at the front and rear and are in position to receive any matter which is discharged from the babys mouth.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a bib or a combined bib and apron having a central zone of substantially rectangular form, a pair of upwardly diverging tabs extending centrally from a second narrow zone above said central zone and adapted to partially encircle the neck of the wearer, together with means `extending about the neck of the wearer for holding the device in place, a sheet of waterproof material underlying said central and side zones.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a device as set forth in the preceding paragraph, together with a third narrow zone extending downwardly from said central zone and having a pair of pockets formed side by side adjacent the bottom of said central zone and adapted to respectively receive used and unused pieces of paper or fabric.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which- Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation showing the device positioned in front of the wearer;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation showing the device positioned over one shoulder of the wearer;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the device;

Fig. 4 is a view in rear elevation of the device; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings a bib or combined bib and apron is shown comprising a piece of absorbent fabric I0. While various fabrics may be used, in practice itv has been found desirable to use a soft piece of absorbent fabric of the outing ilannel type.Y The `piece Ill has a central Zone of substantially rectangular form with a longer horizontal than vertical dimension. The same has side portions Illa. have a length extending throughout the `vertical extent of the said central zone and have downwardly diverging edges. The bottom edges I 0b of said side portions merge into a third zone at the bottom portion of said central zone and disposed centrally thereof, said third zone being of much less width than said central zone. Said edges IDD, as shown in Fig. 3, are of concave form.` There is also a second narrow zone between the top of the central zone or between a line extending between the top edges of the side portions lila and the top central portion |00 of the device,` which extends across the device. Above this narrow zone are upwardly diverging and tapering tabs illd which are disposed centrally of the bib. Means are provided for holding the device in place and while these could take various forms, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated a piece of narrow material I0e is secured to the inner sides of the tabs |003 by a suitable seam Illf, and the ends of said piece of "material are continued some distance as strings. 'I'heouter edges of the tabs 10d merge into the top sides of the side portions IDa in curved lines. The lower edge of said second zone is substantially rectilinear and horizontal and a pair of pockets lg are formed in said third zone, the same being disposed side by side. Said pockets are formed by reversely turning the lower portion of said third zone and stitching the same, as shown in Fig. L5. A centrai seam forms the pockets Ig. A piece of waterproof material Il, such as oilcloth, underlies the major portion of said central and second Zones and is secured to the underside of the sheet I0. The piece of material Ill is preferably formed in two layers 10h, as shown in Fig. 5, and these are preferably joined together at their edges, the edges being inturned and disposed between the layers 10h.

The device can be worn as shown in Fig. 1, with the central zone positioned directly in front The side portions Illa' of the wearer and the device then forms an attractive and ornamental apron or bib. The baby can be held in front of the wearer with his head positioned on any part of the device and if the baby burps or spits, the matter discharged will Ybe received on the sheet IU. The sh-eet is preferably absorbent so that it will largely absorb the matter and the matter cannot reach the clothes of the wearer on account of the waterproof sheet Il. The pockets lug are adapted respectively to receive unused pieces of fabric or paper I2 and used pieces I2a. Such small pieces of fabric or paper are now readily available and form small f1 napkins or handkerchiefs. The wearer can take one of the unused pieces I2 and wipe up some of the matter discharged by the baby and the used which diverge downwardly slightly, said central zone including side portions having top edges a second zone extending upwardly from said central zone ycentrally thereof, of small vertical extent piece can then be temporarily placed in the other pocket Illg. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the tabs I d partially encircle the neck and the strings formed by the piece Ille will be passed around the neck and tied in a suitable-knot, such as al bow knot. Due to the second narrow Zone just above the top line of side portionsl I Uafsaid side portions are brought well up on the body and close to the top of the shoulders. The device is thus designed to cover and protect the cloth-es of the wearer in an eflicient manner. When the baby is toV be placed over the shoulder the device can be readily swung or rotated substantially 90 degrees and the central zone then extends outwardly over the shoulder. It will be seen that the device can conveniently be disposed over either shoulder ofthe wearer. When the device is so disposed over the shoulder, as shown in Fig. 2, the'side portions Illa depend at the forward and rear side of the wearers body and the sheet IE] is then in effective position to receive any matter discharged from the babys mouth. The wearer can conveniently reach the pieces |2a if it is desired to wipe the babys mouth or wipe up some of the matter discharged. f

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided quite a simple and yet highly eiicient device to be worn by a person handling va baby and one which will take care of and receive any matter discharged from the babys mouth. The device is not only highly efficient but is quite ornamental and makes a very pleasing appearance. It can therefore be worn over a long `period if desired and will be ready for use when the baby is taken up. The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice, found to be very successful and efficient and is being com merically made. l

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, ar-

and of` much lesswidth than said central zone, upwardly diverging tapered and comparatively short tabs extending from said second zone, said tabs being adapted to extend substantially half `way about the neck of the wearer, and a thirdzone extending `downwardly from said central Zone lcentrally thereof and of much less width than said central zone, said third zone havingY its lower Vend reversely folded upwardly and stitched to said central zone to form a pair of small pockets adapted to receive small paper napkins,la string of narrow material secured along the adjacent edges of said tabs and extending quite a distance at either side thereof adapted to extend around the neck of the wearer and be tied together to hold said bib in place, and a sheet of waterproof material secured beneath said central and third zones, whereby said bib can be disposed in front of the wearer to cover the chest of the wearer or be disposed centrally over the top of the shoulder and with no surplus of material at the front or back of the body.

LEONA M. ROE.

REFERENCES CITED The following vreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 677,010 Ziller June 25, 1901 704,206 Newlin July 8, 1902 879,124 Thompson Feb. 11, 1908 1,190,084 Bates July 4, 1916 1,284,252 Dalton Nov. 12, 1918 1,376,625 Johnston May 3, 1921 1,591,721 Melvin July 6, 1926 2,378,380 Brown June 19, 1945 2,423,489 Dunn July 8, 1947 

